1. Field
The disclosure relates generally to computer networks, and more particularly to systems and methods for accessing shared resources on such networks by users.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a computer network includes a plurality of computers that may communicate with each other via one or more network connections. The network connections may include a variety of wired and/or wireless connections. For example, the Internet provides for communications between computers to form a network. In addition to computers, other devices that may interact with computers may be included on the network. The computers on a network, and thus programs that may be run on the network computers, along with the other devices on the network, represent network resources. A user who has access to a computer on the network may be able to access and make use of any network resources for which the user has the appropriate permissions. To access a network resource, a user typically must identify the location of the resource and provide user identification information for access verification. For example, a resource may be identified by the user by providing a network address, such as a domain name system (DNS) address. User identification information that may be provided by a user to access a resource may include a username and password.
A more specific example of a computer network is a Windows Server domain. A Windows Server domain is a logical group of computers running versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system that share a central directory database. This central database contains user accounts and security information for the resources in the domain. Each person who uses computers within a domain receives his or her own unique account, or user name. This account can then be assigned access to resources within the domain. In a domain, the directory resides on computers that are configured as domain controllers. A domain controller is a server that manages all security-related aspects of user and domain interactions, thereby centralizing security and administration. The domain is not limited to a single location or specific type of network configuration. Computers in the domain can share physical proximity on a small local area network (LAN), or they can be located in different parts of the world, as long as they can communicate.